A Quick Look Back, A Strong Push Forward

I hope you’re enjoying our official SCEA blog. Personally speaking, it’s great to finally have a place where we can talk candidly about the things we (and you) care about. While it’s no substitute for a one-on-one conversation, I’m excited to have a chance to listen and talk with you here. With that said, everything communicated in any form these days has to be considered an “on-the-record statement” so as much as I’d like to, I can’t completely throw my corporate hat out the window.

From where I sit, this industry has the most passionate consumers of any I’ve ever encountered. For some, gaming is a way to kill some time, for others it’s a favorite hobby, but for many it’s a way of life. As a gamer myself, I fall somewhere between a low to mid level enthusiast mainly because of free time. My day job is ironically eating away at my gaming time, although lately I’m finding the PSP has helped me reclaim some of this lost time on long plane trips.

For twenty one years I’ve worked exclusively in the industry. The last twelve have been with Sony Computer Entertainment. It’s been just over six months since I became President and CEO here and I can assure you that gaming is clearly my life. Now that we’ve got the hardware to drive the business, we’re putting all our efforts into insuring that we help create the best games possible for you to enjoy. My pledge is that we will continue to put you first and foremost, to understand what you really want from us. In fact, this blog is one way that I’m hoping this happens.

In 1995, when we launched the PlayStation, the majority of the gamers were twelve to seventeen year old boys. 2D platform, fighting, racing, and sports games were the norm. Platforms were born and died within five years maximum. There was minimal difference between hardware platforms. We here at Sony championed 3D graphics, CD based technology and a more mature diverse library of games. We believed that our platform had a lifecycle that should survive well beyond the traditional five years. Some of the initial criticism we received was that the hardware was a bit pricey, the system was hard to develop for and the early software line-up needed some work. When we introduced PlayStation 2 in 2000 we received much of the same criticism. When we introduced DVD based storage we were told that CD had more than enough capacity to store game data. In a few short years DVD had all but replaced CD and that storage capacity was being squeezed by the development community. In 2006 the song remained much the same. Most of you know what transpired: 100 million PlayStations and thousands of great games later, the PlayStation had a ten year run and could still be selling today. PlayStation 2 left our original success in the dust and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

We fully realize that past success is no guarantee of future success, but it does give you some perspective. We have to bring the games to market that will showcase what the PS3 can do and ultimately entertain you like no other games have. We need to provide proof of what the PS3 can do for you and work tirelessly to improve the value and justify your investment. At the end of the day, it’s always been about the games. To push the boundaries of gaming beyond where they currently lie takes a great deal of risk. I think all the hardware manufacturers are doing that in some way. We could have easily produced PlayStation 2.5 at a slightly increased price over the older model, and driven some nice profits and marginal innovation for a few years but that’s not how we got where we are today. You have to gamble and make major investments in the present that will pay dividends in the future.

We’re working hard to put the best tools in the hands of the development community so they can take you places you never imagined possible. We have more than 15 games coming from our own internal studios alone this year for PS3. Our third party partners will weigh in with a host of great games giving us more than 100 titles by year end on that system alone. At our Gamer’s Day event a few weeks back, we announced 18 exclusive games for PSP. This year, PS2 owners will get a little something for everyone with games like Buzz! and Singstar. Oh, and you certainly can’t forget the PlayStation Network. Right now, we are working on a slew of games and game packs that will be offered through the PlayStation Store in the coming months, including Warhawk, which personally speaking, is the PS3 game I’ve been playing most lately.

We are heading into one of the biggest shows of the year for the videogame industry. E3 is only a month away. Everyone here at SCEA is working very hard and is dedicated to pushing the development envelope to show you not only new stuff for games like Heavenly Sword, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, but also a few surprises we have up our sleeves that no one has seen. You can check in here for updates as we head into the show, and I will be sure to report back once E3 begins.

So, that’s it for now from me. I really hope you enjoy our new blog. I think it is a great way for us to share information and for you to communicate back with us. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and posting more here in the weeks to come!

311 Comments

Kudos to you, Jack, for willing to step forward and speak directly with your customers. As a fellow CEO (of beverage company Squizz, Inc.), I know just how challenging it can be to run an enterprise and still make time to chat directly with your fans.

Anyway, looking forward to the future of your blog. I bought my nephew a PS3, and I must say, though I’m no hardcore gamer, the thing is phenomenal.

Thanks Jack,
For at least giving us the benefit of a post here and there to keep us informed.

Hey,
C’mon Phil….where you at bro?

by the way you guys have never done me wrong and you have never given me a reason to doubt you guys. I’ve been a Playstation fan since there was a Playstation Brand. Do us proud “Show me the GAMES!!!!”

I haven’t spent any time with a PS3 (and neither has anyone that I know) due to the price. The PS3 costs £425 in the UK (yes that’s $850!) – the Xbox 360 just £280 ($560 – usually bundled with some excellent games at this price also).

As for innovation – the PS3 hardware as it stands is innovative – but it seems to me most of this innovation is for innovations sake and will not benefit the consumer to any large degree.

So we’re effectively paying a premium for exotic hardware which doesn’t deliver any clear benefits. I feel it would have been better to produce simpler hardware and then innovate with the software.

Look, I’m sorry to be “the jerk” here, but did Jack even WRITE this? It’s the same, exact regurgitated PR “Hey look at all the cool stuff we have comming!” stuff you can find in any gaming mag.

Sony, as a company, has lost so much credibility and (at least with me) brand name respect with the PS3 Trainwreck of a launch… And that’s sad, because I was a hardcore Sony supporter since the PS1. I lined up and threw down my $300 for it and another $150 for Ridge Racer and two other launch games.

I did the same for the PS2. And the PSP.

You lost a fan, and more importantly, a walking, talking Credit Card with the boneheaded decisions that went with the PS3… I just don’t TRUST you guys anymore, and posting a bunch or PR CRAP like this and patting yourself on the back because your schmoozing with the “little people” isn’t helping.

If you want to improve your image and win back the paying customers you lost, then be serious about it. Stop the [DELETED] and shoot strait, I know I am in the minority, but a lot of people who think and feel like I do ARE out there, they just aren’t as vocal.

I completely agree with #170 and all of his points. Sony needs to make the PS3 more attractive to 3rd party support, cater to them, take them out bowling, PAY THEM if you have to, just please keep our exclussives exclussive. I love my PS3 and PSP. Nothing would make me happier than to see Nintendo’s arogant smug disapear, crush the Wii

I cant believe that there’s so much messages in here, i just was 2 days away and now i have to read about 1000 messages cause i want to know what everyone said! This blog is really popular!

Thank you @Jack Tretton for the great post. “games like Heavenly Sword, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, but also a few surprises we have up our sleeves that no one has seen”

Those game’s really look topnotch in every aspect! Eye of judgement is one of the most innovative games for this year, do you have more games as innovative as that coming?
Im really waiting for E3 reports for those suprises =D

I don’t know what Sony is cooking up but if they feel their system is in trouble they would already have something in the works. Saying something is in trouble after a little over 7 months on the market is fairly idiotic. (Especially considering its predecessors were available to consumers for 10 years and 7 years and still going)

Just because another console is moving units faster doesn’t mean it is time to hit the panic button.

I personally feel that PlayStation has raised the bar to a completely different level with the PS3 than any other gaming system throughout history. The PS3 is the first system to officially support and encourage alternative operating systems to run on it (e.g. Linux). By allowing for users to run Linux on the PS3 openly it has deterred any desire I would’ve ever had to hack or mod my PS3 by meeting my goals of being able to do whatever else I may want on my own. Proof of this sits on my entertainment center with the Xbox that currently runs XBMC more than anything else (a little Xubuntu every now and again).

Kudos for the amazing product that is well worth the extra couple hundred dollars over the competitors.

You need more really cool exclusive games (not some time exclusive). Those are the games that will make people buy a PS3 if they want to play those games, not just wait to get it on their other console. Also, a price drop before christmas 2007 would help.

I don’t have a PS3…yet, but I will buy a PS3 later. Don’t really care about the other two “next gen” consoles.

More cool PS3 EXCLUSIVE games please! Not talking about time exclusives here.

I posted earlier – should have 1 button port from 360 to PS3. Actually I think a 1 button push from PS3 to 360 would be strategically better. That way you would get games being designed for the PS3 from the begining which is what you want.

I would love a functioning adapter to play my old Guitar Hero games… these are my favorite games on the Playstation 2, and to be able to afford a Playstation 3, I had to sell my PS2 and most all of my games.

When I found out that I wouldn’t be able to play my Guitar Hero games I felt cheated. I spent all this money on the games and a system that won’t even play them.

I bought a 3rd party adapter, but it just doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. Could you please not deny these 2 great games by saying wait for Guitar Hero 3….I want to play these ones now.

Why is the PSN store such a joke? Why do we want to sit and wait for a commercial (movie trailer) to download to our PS3 when we can watch it streaming for free on our computers, this is getting insane. There are almost no new demos for any 3rd party games or first party for that matter, and EVERY game update is delayed, then further delayed, and yet again delayed. I’m sorry Sony but you need to get your act together the time is now, you are already behind it’s time to kick it into gear or end up last in sales this gen.

btw/ nothing is for free. on the pso we are going to pay a premium for content. at the same time, do you have any idea how much advertisers have spent buying space on the first true interactive billboard (home)? i would rather know what i am paying for, and investing in: ie xbox live, than getting raped in the long term. does that mean i wont be paying for content on pso? hell no. i am happy to pay to support what i love.

Well a blog that was designed to keep US the fans up2date about the goings on….

I see NO mention of the MOTORSTORM UPDATE DELAY!!!!

“otorstorm fans will have to pull back from the starting line once again, as this anticipated 1.2 update won’t be released this week. The patch was supposed to improve online play as well as lay the foundation for the new Time Attack game mode. Initially scheduled for release on June 7th, the release of 1.2 was pushed back to the 11th because of technical issues. This date then moved back to the 14th in time for the PlayStation Store’s weekly update. Unfortunately, according to a Sony spokesman, as the update was being prepped for release, a significant network bug was discovered that required the company to push the update back once again.”

Again, a getting lesser and lesser lover of the PS3… read my post above to see what I previously said… :(

Hey good job on providing great content for the playstation store. I love waiting every week to go check it out and see exciting stuff like MLB the Show video # 67 and re watching trailers for games that i seen a month ago. I mean why would i want demos when i can watch 20 sec game trailers over and over all day. I also love waiting for updates to the only worthwhile games on the system (resistance & motorstorm) only to be delayed for a week, then 2 weeks, then a month. good job, thats gotta build hype right? But my favorite thing is when im playing resistance and someone sends me a message so i quit the game cause i have to go the XMB to view their message. Thinking they wanna play with me only to find out they just wanna talk about upcoming games(what else is there to talk about). good times sony

Hey Jack, as a PSP owner I have a good idea: downloadable arcade classics for the PSP. I know about the downloadable PSOne game, and that’s nice. However, my PSP mostly sees time for the classics compilations, like Namco Museum, EA Replay, Sega Genesis Collection and Capcom Classics Collection. I would think that being able to download individual classic arcade titles would be awesome. Take it from me- as an Xbox 360 owner, most of my Xbox Live Arcade purchases have been the classic arcade games. I’d do the same for the PSP, given the choice.

The PS3 must be difficult to develop for as game demo are few and far between for every PSN update.

Is there a reason why the PSN store receives paltry updates every week? The lack of content is severely troubling, you can’t compete with the Wii cause they’re out of your price point, and you can’t compete with the 360 cause PSN pales in comparison with Live.

May I suggest updating the store with more content. If you’re going to keep the once a week policy, at least release more stuff than a handful of trailers.

Excellent idea giving the top brass a voice directly with the people, and give the people a place to have their voices heard.

My comment: Canadian MSRP is too high. The PS3 was originally released at a $679.99 price point in Canada, then increased a month later to $699. The price still stands at $699, but at the current exchange rate, I could buy a console in the USA for only $639 after exchange. You’re overcharging us by a full $60.00. Be fair and match the US price.

Glad to read that Sony is finally admitting that something needs to be done. As the owner of a PS3 and former owner of a Wii and an Xbox 360 (died on me after warranty), here are my thoughts/wishes:

Focus on the PS3’s strenghts with your marketing campaign:
+PS3 durability (a big issue for me and others after our Xbox 360’s died with the “3 rings of death.”)
+HDD in every console
+Blu-Ray player
+free online service

Work on improving the PS3’s game development tools so that developers will want to work on the PS3 first rather than porting 360 games.

Redesign the controller and add rumble. The 360 controller beats the Sixaxis hands down, with the exception of the D-pad.

Bridge the gap with the 360’s interface by adding custom soundtracks, universal friend lists, downloadable movies, etc. that the 360 and Xbox Live already have.

Act more humble with devs and listen to their desires. Sony’s arrogance is one of the reasons they are doing so poorly this generation. Try to attract more third parties into developing first on the PS3 (improving development software, sweetening contracts $$$, etc.).

Keep up with the blogs, and be candid/honest. Your readers will respect you and Sony more if you honestly admit your shortcomings and state that they are being addressed.

I love all of the armchair quaterbacks that know how to do Sony’s job better than Sony.

Arrogance, for what I hear Sony is excellent with developer relations, it is the tools that need work. Which already looks to be improving with Edge etc.

And if the SixAxiS has the D-Pad advantage, how can it be called “hands down”

The downloadable T.V. / Movie service is said to be coming before the year is out (Since Sony has its hand in several entertainment streams I expect this to be fairly robust) Custom soundtracks has to be the single most overrated feature ever.

I love how everyone thinks everything can happen overnight and is as simple as flipping a light switch.

The other consoles had tons of downloadable contant thier first three months.

Yes putting one of thier PS1 games on PSN COULD happen overnight. Its just a rom, It would take them an hour to do.

Sony is notorious for starting up a project and then forgetting about it. Look at PSP they forgot about that for almost three years and there still isnt a PSP store!!

Look at PS1 games on PSN they put a few out at first and utterly abandoned the feature. What do they wanna wait till they release the fall PS3 games to update the PS1 games? We need them NOW while we wait you guys common!

We have had someone from Sony giving daily feedback on this site I really wonder if someone from Sony will address anything we actually CARE about today.

This blog is a great opportunity to have a direct feedback with gamers and Playstation fans.
I have a PS3 and it absolutely rocks, and I’m glad to hear that Sony is working hard to strengthen the software lineup and give gamers more reasons to buy the system or love it (if they already have it). Uncharted,Heavenly Sword and Ratchet&Clank are on my absolute most wanted list.
By the way, and I know you know it, price the the other big part of the equation and if the console isn’t made affordable sales won’t pick up easily, low sales are one the major concerns about the system right now.
I believe that Sony has the duty to offer PS3 this Christmas at the same price Microsoft was selling their console two years ago: 399$.
Make it happen Sony! 399$PS3 + great games= great success.

I am patient and know that the great games are coming. However, many people are not so sure and these are the people you need to convince that the future is the PS3.

I have one way that you could easily convince these potential customers and also keep the PS3 faithful happy as well. You really need to get DEMOS up of your blockbuster games. I know Heavenly Sword, Lair, and several others have been playable for quite sometime. It is time and has been time to get these out to the masses to enjoy and show off to others in hopes of brining more people onto the PS3 bandwagon.

I really don’t see any reason why Sony would want to keep these under wraps. It is almost like they are doing the opposite of what they should be doing. I can remember downloading the Motorstorm demo and I had more fun with that than many of the full fledged launch games. Also, several of my friends and family saw this game and played the demo with me and were instantly hooked. Three of them went out and bought a PS3 just because of this demo.

Again, I know and am on top of the PS3 games that are coming out in the future, but most are not. Show them what the PS3 faithful knows, hook them with the demos of these future blockbuster games!